Tips on entertaining, new product reviews, simple recipes and more from GateHouse News Service. Learn about nutrition, new and \x34trendy\x34 foods you may see at the market, and food and cooking vocabulary. Take our weekly quiz and get a weekly
...

Tips on entertaining, new product reviews, simple recipes and more from GateHouse News Service. Learn about nutrition, new and \x34trendy\x34 foods you may see at the market, and food and cooking vocabulary. Take our weekly quiz and get a weekly cookbook review.

Recent Posts

Oct. 3, 2012
12:01 a.m.

Tip of the Week: How to cut down on salt

The best and most effective way to cut down on sodium intake is to cook at home and avoid restaurants and carry-out meals. Make cooking at home easier by cooking up big batches of recipes on weekends, and freeze smaller batches for when it's needed. If you must order in, add your own fresh veggies as a side dish or toss them into the dish. For example, you can add lettuce to salads or steamed broccoli to Chinese food.

Place morsels in small, heavy-duty plastic bag. Microwave on high for 45 seconds; knead. Microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, kneading until smooth. Cut small corner from bag; squeeze to pipe concentric circles on top of frosting. Using wooden pick or tip of knife, pull tip through chocolate from center to last circle to create a cobweb effect. Make two dots using decorator icing on each of 24 Goobers to resemble spider eyes. Place in center of each cobweb.

-- Nestle/ Family Features

Did You Know?

Like raw meat, raw seafood may contain bacteria that can be destroyed only by cooking. Some seafood may also contain toxins such as mercury, which may be harmful for young children or an unborn baby. – FoodSafety.gov

Food Quiz

This vegetable is also known as the snow cabbage. What is this called?

A. Bon Choa

B. Bok Choy

C. Bran Chii

D. Blo Chue

-- funtrivia.com

Answer is at bottom of column

Wise to the Word:Vichy carrots

[VIH-shee] These are classic French restaurant carrots, always lightly garnished with parsley and often parked next to a fantastic beef Bourguignon. To make them, peel fall-harvested fingerling carrots, and combine with a small amount of spring water, butter and sugar. (Peeled, sliced carrots may sub for the fingerlings.) Cover and cook over very low heat until tender, about 30 minutes. And don’t forget the parsley garnish.

-- Jim Hillibish/ Canton (Ohio) Repository

Number to Know

1,220: One dinner order of fettuccine Alfredo at the Olive Garden is 1,220 calories.

-- calorieking.com

The Dish On …

"Gooseberry Patch: A Ghastly Good Halloween" by Gooseberry Patch

When the air turns crisp and school is back in session, everyone starts to plan for one of their favorite fall holiday: Halloween. Our friends at Gooseberry Patch provide hours of frightening fun in this brand-new collection of ghoulish tricks and treats, spooky crafts, clever costume ideas and devilish decorations. With full-color photos on every page and easy step-by-step instructions for craft projects, this book will be a must-have for every Halloween lover.